


A Visit from Dr Lishman

by Erica_likes_to_write



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: Bipolar Ian, Post 4.12
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 12:47:33
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,637
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1649141
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Erica_likes_to_write/pseuds/Erica_likes_to_write
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Ian is depressed so Dr. Lishman makes a house call.</p>
            </blockquote>





	A Visit from Dr Lishman

Sitting on the couch with his head back, a half full beer bottle in his hand, Mickey was startled awake by a knock at the door. He wasn't expecting anyone. Mickey groaned when he swung the front door open to find Lip and Fiona standing in front of him. Lip was carrying a bat. Mickey looked down at the bat and then up into Lip's eyes, eyebrows raised. Mickey sighed wondering what annoying bullshit was about to be thrown his way. Bat or not, Mickey wasn't afraid of Lip. But those Gallaghers could be damn annoying when they had their minds set on something. Mickey knew this well from his time with Ian.

Lip spoke first. "We're here to see Ian. It's been two weeks with no improvement. You won't let us take him to the clinic so we brought a doctor to him."

Mickey signed and backed up, releasing his grip on the door. "Fine." Though he would never admit it, Mickey felt some relief. Ian had barely eaten or drank anything since falling into his depression and Mickey was becoming increasingly concerned about his physical health. However, his feelings abruptly changed when Lip and Fiona parted and Ned appeared, entering the house with his black leather doctor kit. "Are you fucking kidding me? You couldn't bring a doctor that Ian hasn't banged?"

"Hey, if you know one who will come by free of charge, by all means bring him over." Lip said in a challenging tone, fingers still gripping the bat.

Mickey bit his lip.

"That's what I thought. So let's put your ego aside and have Dr L here examine Ian and make sure he's still breathing, yeah?"

Mickey's hands were in fists. Every instinct wanted to keep Ned away from Ian but his concern for Ian was winning out over Mickey's possessiveness and jealousy. He looked at a smirking Ned. "Okay. But don't get handsy or I'll rip your balls off."

Ned raised his eyebrows. "Hello Mickey. I'm equally pleased to see you. And you're welcome."

"Yeah, whatever. You owe me. The last time I helped you out, I took a bullet to the ass."

Mickey opened his bedroom door and was immediately overwhelmed with feelings of protectiveness and love when he saw Ian laying in the bed, so weak and vulnerable. He was suddenly intensely aware of Ian's nakedness and he cringed at the thought of Ned's hands touching his body.

Mickey's expression must have given away his feelings because Ned's face softened as he approached Ian. "Mickey, come over here. Help me out."

Mickey closed the door and approached Ned who was kneeling next to Ian. Mickey stood ackwardly watching. "Ian?" Ned spoke softly, gently touching Ian's arm. Ian's eyes opened and he looked at Ned, completely expressionless and disinterested. "Fiona asked me to examine you. Is that okay with you?"

Ian nodded so slightly that Mickey wasn't even sure he didn't imagine it. Ned turned to him. "Mickey, help me sit him up."

Mickey approached the bed. Standing next to Ned, he leaned over and grasped Ian's shoulder with one hand, his arm with the other. Ned did the same on Ian's other side and together they pulled him into a seated position. Ned immediately let go but Mickey kept a hand on Ian's shoulder. He tried to make eye contact but Ian wouldn't look at him. Mickey gave the shoulder a squeeze and then backed away.

Ned had pulled a chair over to the bed and was seated at it, making him eye level with Ian. Ian looked at Ned and Mickey felt a pang of jealousy as crazy as that felt, even to him in that moment.

"What's your name?"

"Ian."

The words were flat. There was no sarcasm or annoyance in Ian's voice. No roll of his eyes. It terrified Mickey.

"Do you know where you are right now?"

"Mickey's house."

"Do you know what day it is?"

Ian looked intensely into Ned's eyes. He seemed to think for a moment. "No."

"Do you know what time it is?"

Ian looked to the window but the curtain was closed. He rubbed his eyes. "No." He looked and sounded exhausted and defeated.

Ned looked over at Mickey. "He's oriented to person and place but not time."

"What the fuck does that mean?"

Ned looked like he was considering a response but then waved his hand as if to say forget it which was fine with Mickey. He couldn't imagine why Ned was wasting time with these dumbass pointless questions. "I thought you were going to do an exam. Shouldn't you be getting out your stethoscope or some shit? Obviously he knows his fucking name." Mickey sounded sure of himself but his hands were shaking slightly. He just couldn't believe that Ned could ask Ian his name and Ian wouldn't come back with some smart ass comment. It had been so long since he'd seen any sign of the Ian he knew. He was aching for it.

Ned proceeded to perform a simple exam. He listened to Ian's chest. He took his blood pressure. "His blood pressure is low. Does he normally have low blood pressure?"

"Are you fucking kidding me? What am I - his fucking dad? The hell should I know if he has low pressure?"

Ned smirked at Mickey. "Well, I know you're not his dad. But considering the beat down you gave me when I suggested you were his boyfriend, I'm really not sure what you are to each other."

Mickey shifted uncomfortably. He didn't like Ned bringing up this stuff in front of Ian. Didn't think he needed to be reminded of painful shit right now. Then again, Ian sat there so completely expressionless that who the hell knew if he was even listening. "That was a long time ago. Anyway, what's next?"

Ned looked down at the purple bruises on Ian's chest that he had gotten from the fight at The Alibi a couple weeks before. "Does this hurt?" Ian shook his head as Ned ran his hands over his chest. "Well, he obviously doesn't have any broken ribs but they might be bruised."

Mickey couldn't focus on anything Ned was saying while watching his hands move across Ian's body. The same body that Mickey had been mostly denied access to for the past couple weeks. Ian usually flinched or pulled away when Mickey tried to touch him. Ned was talking to Ian softly, asking him if certain touches hurt. The interaction struck Mickey as so intimate. It took every ounce of Mickey's self control to keep from grabbing Ned's wrist and pulling the offending hand away. But Mickey was determined to change, to be a better person, for Ian. Because that was what Ian deserved, what he needed. And, for Mickey right now, it was all about Ian.

Ned closed up his bag and set it on the floor beside him. He looked at Ian who looked back at him but didn't speak. "When he was staying with me . . ."

"He stayed with you?" Mickey had no idea. "When?"

"A couple months ago."

Mickey couldn't help but feel hurt. It was a reminder that despite how close they'd become since Ian returned, Mickey still had very little knowledge of Ian's life while he was away. There was so much that Ian had kept from him. Maybe their closeness was an illusion.

Ned was still talking. "He wasn't acting like himself then. But I just figured it was all the shit he was taking and all the drinking. But now to see him like this . . . ."

"What?"

"Well, it's not good."

"Fiona said he might be Bipolar like their mom. She said there's medicine he can take."

Ned was looking at Ian and touched his cheek. "Mickey, I'm a heart surgeon. I'm not comfortable prescribing him psych meds. He needs to be evaluated by a psychiatrist."

"Bullshit. You're a fucking doctor. Write the script. You just evaluated him."

"Yes, and physically, he looks okay. But I'm not qualified to diagnose a mental disorder. I'm not going to prescribe meds on a whim. I'm sorry but I can't help you anymore." Ned stood up and left the room. Mickey followed.

Fiona and Lip were standing in the kitchen, waiting anxiously. Fiona approached Ned. "How is he?"

"I was just telling Mickey that he looks okay physically but . . ."

"Looks okay physically?" Lip interrupted, incredulous, "he's practically catatonic! When are we going to stop this bullshit? He needs to go to the clinic or the ER." He looked directly at Mickey. "Today."

Before Mickey could argue, Fiona spoke. "I'm his guardian, Mickey. I get to decide and we're taking him to the clinic today. If you try to stop us, I'll call the police."

Mickey felt a tightness around his chest as the panic set in. He couldn't stand feeling powerless, being controlled. Normally in those situations, he reacted with anger and violence but in that moment, he just felt despair. He looked up and Lip was next to him. He was so close that Mickey thought he might put a hand on his shoulder and Mickey's entire body tensed. But Lip didn't touch him.

"It's the right thing, Mickey. Come on. Help me get him out of bed and you can come with us. We have Kev's truck outside."

Mickey felt the weight of three sets of eyes on him. He could fight them but that would possibly get him thrown in jail. Or he could go along with them and possibly lose Ian to a psych ward or medicine that changes that personality that Mickey loves so much and is so desperate to get back. He realized in that moment that he really only had one option left. He nodded to Lip. "Let's go get him dressed."


End file.
